Show the Way

Your fall TV viewing guide, in one chart

05 September 2014

There are nearly 50 new TV shows debuting in the next few weeks, including shows about stalkers, comedies about sick kids and another NCIS — the procedural kudzu of television! Only seven of those 50 are worth watching. Here’s how to choose the right one.

Mulaney: Star and titular character John Mulaney is already one of our favorite standups (love his riff on Law & Order; also this one). Here, he’s a N.Y. comedian and struggling writer, while Martin Short plays his boss, an unhinged game-show host. Slightly meta, certainly funny and positively Seinfeld-esque. Oct. 5, Fox

Gracepoint: Remaking a cult British drama, Gracepoint follows a police investigation into the death of a young boy in a small California town. A little bit The Killing and a dash of True Detective, all topped off with the grimness of Gone Girl. Oct. 2, Fox

Gotham: A Batman show with no Batman. This prequel goes in a different direction, focusing on the early days of police detective Jim Gordon (Southland’s Ben McKenzie). Fans of the comic's Frank Miller/Year One era should appreciate the show’s noir approach, as well as the slow reveals of future villains like the Penguin and Catwoman. Sep. 22, Fox

American Horror Story: Freak Show: So, this is creepy. Set at a 1950s Florida circus run by AHS regular Jessica Lange, this season focuses on a standoff between a freakshow and a set of “evil forces” — e.g., a guy named “Twisty the Clown Killer.” Oct. 8, FX

Constantine: At heart, it’s the story of an a--hole killing demons. If the primetime nature of the show is a bit sanitized (e.g., you’ll never see our rugged anti-hero smoking, his signature characteristic from the comic book), the awesome source material should keep it from faltering. Oct. 24, NBC